When performing certain surgical procedures, there is a challenge to control bleeding and provide sealing of smaller vessels of tissue at the surgical site. For example, in a liver resection, also referred to as a hepatectomy, there is the challenge to create a resection plane through several inches of liver parenchyma. Within this parenchyma are bile ducts, arteries portal veins (bringing blood in) and hepatic veins (allowing blood out). When parenchyma is separated, there is a challenge to prevent bleeding, seal small (1-2 mm) bile ducts as well as larger 9+ mm vessels. There is also a challenge to isolate critical ducts and vessels without damaging them.
While several devices have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the device described in the appended claims.